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Wang X, Li N, Liu YH, Wu J, Liu QG, Niu JB, Xu Y, Huang CZ, Zhang SY, Song J. Targeting focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in cancer therapy: A recent update on inhibitors and PROTAC degraders. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 276:116678. [PMID: 39029337 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is considered as a pivotal intracellular non-receptor tyrosine kinase, and has garnered significant attention as a promising target for anticancer drug development. As of early 2024, a total of 12 drugs targeting FAK have been approved for clinical or preclinical studies worldwide, including three PROTAC degraders. In recent three years (2021-2023), significant progress has been made in designing targeted FAK anticancer agents, including the development of a novel benzenesulfofurazan type NO-releasing FAK inhibitor and the first-in-class dual-target inhibitors simultaneously targeting FAK and HDACs. Given the pivotal role of FAK in the discovery of anticancer drugs, as well as the notable advancements achieved in FAK inhibitors and PROTAC degraders in recent years, this review is underbaked to present a comprehensive overview of the function and structure of FAK. Additionally, the latest findings on the inhibitors and PROTAC degraders of FAK from the past three years, along with their optimization strategies and anticancer activities, were summarized, which might help to provide novel insights for the development of novel targeted FAK agents with promising anticancer potential and favorable pharmacological profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Na Li
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Yun-He Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Ji Wu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Drug Discovery & Development, Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies (Ministry of Education), Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Qiu-Ge Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Jin-Bo Niu
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Yan Xu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Chen-Zheng Huang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Sai-Yang Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention &Treatment, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
| | - Jian Song
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
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Hu HH, Wang SQ, Shang HL, Lv HF, Chen BB, Gao SG, Chen XB. Roles and inhibitors of FAK in cancer: current advances and future directions. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1274209. [PMID: 38410129 PMCID: PMC10895298 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1274209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase that exhibits high expression in various tumors and is associated with a poor prognosis. FAK activation promotes tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis via both kinase-dependent and kinase-independent pathways. Moreover, FAK is crucial for sustaining the tumor microenvironment. The inhibition of FAK impedes tumorigenesis, metastasis, and drug resistance in cancer. Therefore, developing targeted inhibitors against FAK presents a promising therapeutic strategy. To date, numerous FAK inhibitors, including IN10018, defactinib, GSK2256098, conteltinib, and APG-2449, have been developed, which have demonstrated positive anti-tumor effects in preclinical studies and are undergoing clinical trials for several types of tumors. Moreover, many novel FAK inhibitors are currently in preclinical studies to advance targeted therapy for tumors with aberrantly activated FAK. The benefits of FAK degraders, especially in terms of their scaffold function, are increasingly evident, holding promising potential for future clinical exploration and breakthroughs. This review aims to clarify FAK's role in cancer, offering a comprehensive overview of the current status and future prospects of FAK-targeted therapy and combination approaches. The goal is to provide valuable insights for advancing anti-cancer treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Hui Hu
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Sai-Qi Wang
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hai-Li Shang
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hui-Fang Lv
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Bei-Bei Chen
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - She-Gan Gao
- Henan Key Laboratory of Microbiome and Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Xiao-Bing Chen
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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Liu Y, Tong JB, Gao P, Fan XL, Xiao XC, Xing YC. Combining QSAR techniques, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations to explore anti-tumor inhibitors targeting Focal Adhesion Kinase. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-17. [PMID: 38173145 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2301055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) is an important target for tumor therapy and is closely related to tumor cell genesis and progression. In this paper, we selected 46 FAK inhibitors with anticancer activity in the pyrrolo pyrimidine backbone to establish 3D/2D-QSAR models to explore the relationship between inhibitory activity and molecular structure. We have established two ideal models, namely, the Topomer CoMFA model (q 2 = 0.715, r 2 = 0.984) and the Holographic Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (HQSAR) model (q 2 = 0.707, r 2 = 0.899). Both models demonstrate excellent external prediction capabilities.Based on the QSAR results, we designed 20 structurally modified novel compounds, which were subjected to molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies, and the results showed that the new compounds formed many robust interactions with residues within the active pocket and could maintain stable binding to the receptor proteins. This study not only provides a powerful screening tool for designing novel FAK inhibitors, but also presents a series of novel FAK inhibitors with high micromolar activity that can be used for further characterization. It provides a reference for addressing the shortcomings of drug metabolism and drug resistance of traditional FAK inhibitors, as well as the development of novel clinically applicable FAK inhibitors.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Liu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for Industry, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, China
| | - Jian-Bo Tong
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for Industry, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, China
| | - Peng Gao
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for Industry, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, China
| | - Xuan-Lu Fan
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for Industry, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, China
| | - Xue-Chun Xiao
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for Industry, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, China
| | - Yi-Chaung Xing
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for Industry, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, China
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Long Z, Zuo Y, Li R, Le Y, Dong Y, Yan L. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 4-arylamino-pyrimidine derivatives as focal adhesion kinase inhibitors. Bioorg Chem 2023; 140:106792. [PMID: 37633129 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
A novel series of 4-arylamino-pyrimidine derivatives were designed and synthesized as focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitors under the strategy of structure-based drug design. Most compounds performed excellent anti-proliferative activity against U87-MG cells. Especially, compounds 8d and 9b revealed the highest activity with IC50 values of 0.975 μM and 1.033 μM, which was much potent than the positive control TAE-226 (IC50 = 2.659 μM). On the other hand, the total 27 compounds exhibited low inhibition against human normal 2BS cells. Moreover, compounds 8d and 9b showed outstanding activity against FAK with IC50 values of 0.2438 nM and 0.2691 nM, which was very close to TAE-226 (IC50 = 0.1390 nM). Further studies proved that compounds 8d and 9b could induce U87-MG cell early apoptosis and arrest the cell at G2/M phase. The action mechanism indicated that they could significantly inhibit U87-MG cell clone formation, cell migration, and FAK phosphorylation. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation investigations suggested that compounds 8d and 9b could firmly occupy the ATP binding site of FAK. These findings supported the further researches of compounds 8d and 9b as FAK inhibitors for antitumor drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwu Long
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Yaqing Zuo
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Rongrong Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Yi Le
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; Guizhou Engineering Laboratory for Synthetic Drugs, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Yawen Dong
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Longjia Yan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; Guizhou Engineering Laboratory for Synthetic Drugs, Guiyang 550025, China.
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Zeng S, Yuan S, Zhang Y, Du J, Wu Y, Chen Y, Zhu P, Huang W. Discovery of novel pyrrolo [2,3-d] pyrimidine derivatives as potent FAK inhibitors based on cyclization strategy. Bioorg Chem 2023; 139:106713. [PMID: 37459823 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, plays a pivotal role in tumor invasion and metastasis. Many FAK inhibitors had been reported, but the development of FAK inhibitors in clinical studies are still limited. To facilitate the discovery of FAK modulators and further elucidate the role of FAK in cancer metastasis, it is necessary to discover a novel, potent and selective FAK inhibitor. In this study, a series of FAK inhibitors with novel scaffold were designed and synthesized based on cyclization strategy. Here, we reported compound 10b (HMC-18NH) with excellent inhibition of FAK (IC50 = 9.9 nM) and anticancer activity against several cancer cell lines including BxPC-3, PANC-1, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, U-87MG, HepG2, HCT-15 and A549. Extraordinary, compound 10b showed the best cytotoxic effects against A549 with the IC50 value of 0.8 μM. In addition, 10b exhibited effective invasion and migration suppression in A549 cells. Further investigations revealed that compound 10b potently induced and promoted apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner and arrested A549 cells in the G2/M phase. Collectively, these results suggest that 10b is a promising FAK inhibitor and serve as a lead compound which deserve for further optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenxin Zeng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College, China
| | - Shuai Yuan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- School of Publish Health, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399 China
| | - Jinbei Du
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China
| | - Yuhao Wu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China
| | - Yinqiao Chen
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, China
| | - Peizhen Zhu
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Wenhai Huang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College, China.
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The dual FAK-HDAC inhibitor MY-1259 displays potent activities in gastric cancers in vitro and in vivo. Bioorg Chem 2023; 131:106328. [PMID: 36542986 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation and Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) are considered to be two important targets for the development of antitumor drugs. Studies have shown that the combination of FAK and HDAC inhibitors could exhibit synergistic effects in a subset of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. At present, there are few reports on dual target inhibitors of FAK and HDAC. Here, we first reported a new compound MY-1259 as a dual FAK and HDAC6 inhibitor, which exhibited efficient treatment effects on gastric cancers in vitro and in vivo. MY-1259 exhibited potent inhibitory activities against FAK (IC50 = 132 nM) and HDAC6 (IC50 = 16 nM). Notably, MY-1259 showed selective inhibitory potency on HDAC6 over HDAC1, HDAC2 and HDAC3. In addition, MY-1259 could potently inhibit the proliferative activities of MGC-803 and BGC-823 cells (IC50 = 3.91 and 15.46 nM, respectively, using flow cytometry counting), induce cell apoptosis, and cellular senescence. MY-1259 could effectively down-regulate the levels of Ac-Histone H3 and Ac-α-tubulin, and also inhibit the phosphorylation of FAK at three phosphorylation sites Y397, Y576/577 and Y925, thereby inhibiting the activation of ERK and AKT/mTOR. MY-1259 exhibited more effective antitumor effect in vivo than the HDAC inhibitor SAHA and FAK inhibitor TAE-226 alone or in combination, showing the advantages of FAK/HDAC dual inhibitors in the treatment of gastric cancers. Therefore, the results in this work suggested that inhibition of FAK and HDAC by MY-1259 might represent a promising strategy for the treatment of gastric cancers.
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An Overview of the Biological Evaluation of Selected Nitrogen-Containing Heterocycle Medicinal Chemistry Compounds. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158117. [PMID: 35897691 PMCID: PMC9368212 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterocyclic compounds are a class of compounds of natural origin with favorable properties and hence have major pharmaceutical significance. They have an exceptional adroitness favoring their use as diverse smart biomimetics, in addition to possessing an active pharmacophore in a complex structure. This has made them an indispensable motif in the drug discovery field. Heterocyclic compounds are usually classified according to the ring size, type, and the number of heteroatoms present in the ring. Among different heterocyclic ring systems, nitrogen heterocyclic compounds are more abundant in nature. They also have considerable pharmacological significance. This review highlights recent pioneering studies in the biological assessment of nitrogen-containing compounds, namely: triazoles, tetrazoles, imidazole/benzimidazoles, pyrimidines, and quinolines. It explores publications between April 2020 and February 2022 and will benefit researchers in medicinal chemistry and pharmacology. The present work is organized based on the size of the heterocyclic ring.
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Spallarossa A, Tasso B, Russo E, Villa C, Brullo C. The Development of FAK Inhibitors: A Five-Year Update. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23126381. [PMID: 35742823 PMCID: PMC9223874 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase over-expressed in different solid cancers. In recent years, FAK has been recognized as a new target for the development of antitumor agents, useful to contrast tumor development and metastasis formation. To date, studies on the role of FAK and FAK inhibitors are of great interest for both pharmaceutical companies and academia. This review is focused on compounds able to block FAK with different potencies and with different mechanisms of action, that have appeared in the literature since 2017. Furthermore, new emerging PROTAC molecules have appeared in the literature. This summary could improve knowledge of new FAK inhibitors and provide information for future investigations, in particular, from a medicinal chemistry point of view.
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